Epidemiology methods, as applied to epidemiology education: Goals and expectations to advance and diversify the field.

In their Practice of Epidemiology manuscript, Brown and Cox (Am J Epidemiol. XXXX;XXX(XX):XXXX-XXXX) offer strategies for introductory epidemiology instruction to large undergraduate classes using a team-based instructional approach. Effective epidemiology instruction can improve the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning in our discipline. Recent work has suggested that epidemiology education can also be targeted as a mechanism to fuel equity and progress in the field. In this commentary, I contextualize Brown and Cox's manuscript within the literature on epidemiology instruction for undergraduates. I also explore the status of methods in our field to measure teaching and learning effectiveness. I revisit what makes epidemiology a unique science, and connect this with instructional strategies that have the potential to capitalize on these features. Lastly, I posit whether our field can improve in developing methods for measuring the effectiveness of epidemiology instruction for achieving these aims. Ultimately, as I suggest, increasing the rigor of methods for evaluating epidemiology instruction will serve to diversify, enhance, and advance our discipline.